SB Nation - Jacob Bell

Rams 13, Texans 16: Rams lose a close one

VanRam — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:10:04 -0000

The little things dragged the Rams down today.

Credit the St. Louis Rams for playing a good game, despite losing their 13th contest of the season. The results were especially encouraging given the team's extensive list of players on injured reserve or the sidelines.

The offense did a much better job moving the ball than they did against the Titans last week. Nevertheless, they just don't have the talent to overcome the slightest mistake, say a rookie QB under pressure and throwing the ball blindly down the field for an easy INT. The worst part of it was that the Texans scored on the ensuing drive, giving them a lead the Rams could not overcome. You can go line by line through the play-by-play and find those difference makers that better teams can play through and keep driving the ball for results.

On the other side of the ball, the Rams defense had a good day, except for getting burned again and again by the deep ball. Oshiomogho Atogwe and Bradley Fletcher are greatly missed by this Rams secondary, which is not to say that Craig Dahl, filling in for Atogwe, didn't play well; I just the chances for the Rams to play the ball more with Togs in the lineup. Still, despite Andre Johnson's 200-yard day (196 actually) the Rams kept him out of the end zone and limited Houston to just one touchdown. They really did a good a job as a unit missing so many starters.

I know we have the "Draft Suh" contingent here, but I would still have liked to see the Rams get the win. The close ones are the toughest to take, no matter how much you expect it. It would have been a huge stride forward for the organization. Nevertheless, Spagnuolo's group showed lots of promise and made it easier to see what GM Billy Devaney was talking about in his Friday chat with fans when he said the team has fewer holes to fill.

Keith Null

Once again the rookie from West Texas A&M showed real moxie. He was poised and bounced back from mistakes. Null even showed showed some emotion, something fans were pleasantly surprised to see from their QBs. Two fumbles resulting from bad snaps reminded us that the spread offense and DII football remained a part of Null, and the INT was the definition of a rookie move. Experience should cure that. Maybe I was a bit premature in dubbing it the best performance from a Rams QB this season, very premature, but it is clear who should start the next two games, the last two games of the season.

The Offensive Line

This group had become such a team strength until injuries started to take their toll. Jacob Bell went to IR and Richie Incognito got himself released, leaving the Rams without both starting guards this week. Mark Setterstrom, on the left, and John Greco, on the right, did well for themselves today. It was a little rough in the running game in the early going and at times throughout the game. It's important to remember, however, that the Texans have a strong front seven on defense. It's clear this unit is better with Jason Smith, but this group had a decent outing today, certainly better than they did last week. I still like out depth at guard.

Once again Alex Barron weakened the unit as a whole. He let Mario Williams get around him to recover a fumble. The troubled tackle's most egregious offense came on the last drive of the fourth quarter when he got beat and Null got sacked for a loss of 8 yards. That made it 3rd-and-19. Game over. I don't see how the Rams can bring back Barron in 2010.

Special Teams

Hats off the special teams once again. Not only have the Rams found a solid return man with good vision to match his speed in Danny Amendola, who averaged 31 yards on kickoff returns, they've got a good group of blockers and coverage guys assembled. Josh Brown was nails on the distance shots today, hitting a 52-yarder to make him 5 for 6 on FG attempts of 50 or more yards. Donnie Jones is really getting jobbed by the fact that he's not even in contention for a Pro Bowl nod.

Changing of the guards at Rams Park

VanRam — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:51:10 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

Jacob Bell joins the pile.

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On the same day the St. Louis Rams dumped troubled asset starting right guard Richie Incognito, they sent starting left guard Jacob Bell to the injured reserve list. One to purgatory, one to heaven or hell, depending on how you feel as a player being a member of the Rams.

That means the Rams will have three backup linemen when they take the field against the Houston Texans. One of the two remaining starters, Alex Barron, will have the unenviable task of containing Mario Williams who has four sacks in his last three games. In the middle, C Jason Brown will be flanked, most likely, by John Greco and Mark Setterstrom. As frustrating as it is to see two more starters off the roster, the silver lining here is getting Setterstrom and Greco some playing time. Setterstrom started six games in 2006 at guard, and made a real impression as a rookie. Injuries have limited his progress since then, but the Rams made resigning him during this offseason a priority. Second year man John Greco, a third round pick from the 2008 draft, is no stranger to filling in for Richie Incognito. The Toledo product started in Cog's place during the final game of the season last year; Richie was seen eating a candybar on the sidelines...connect the dots between here and there for Richie.

A flurry of other moves to bolster o-line depth: The Rams signed OT Ryan McKee who was released by the Jets. At 6' 6" 291 lbs, McKee may be more of a guard than anything, until he adds some weight. OT Eric Young was signed from the Rams practice squad to the active roster.

In two seasons with the Rams, Bell has dealt with injuries and played just 13 games in both seasons. Bell improved his play considerably this year, after playing through injuries and underwieght last season. The Rams need this guy to stay healthy, but since he hasn't shown the ability to play 16 games, it's good to get a look at the depth behind him.

I miss Jason Smith in the lineup.

Rams finished with Richie Incognito

VanRam — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:58:24 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

The end arrived for Incognito today.

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You want credibility, you got it. The St. Louis Rams released former starting RG RIchie Incognito this afternoon. Incognito committed two pretty blatant personal foul penalties that put the Rams offense in a bad spot against the Titans. It wasn't even the first game this year that Incognito had more than one personal foul called on him; in the opener against Seattle he had two flags for personal fouls that week too.

After that first game, Cogs got a talking to and played consistently well and level-headed...until this week. His "it's not my fault" routine with Spagnuolo, documented by the Fox camera crews yesterday, probably proved to be the final nail in his coffin.

Some team will snap him up. He has the talent, and some coach will think for sure that he has what it takes to keep him on the straight and narrow...or tolerate his antics. The Rams have depth at the guard position, though the news that Jacob Bell will most likely land on IR, ending his season, will stretch that depth. With Adam Goldberg filling in for the concussed Jason Smith at RT, Mark Setterstrom and John Greco will most likely be the Rams starting guards this week.

The call for Incognito's release from fans and the local media was impossible to miss in the wake of his most recent outing. Have to give him props on handling it with class though. Here's the meathead himself on Spags and the team:

I passed along to Spags and Billy. I told them they’re doing a wonderful job. I really do think Spags is doing a great job. It’s obvious what the team needs here _ and it’s talent. It’s not a lack of coaching. And it’s not a lack of desire. It’s just a lack of talent right now. And they’ll get that sorted out. They’re the right men for the job.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Best Sign Yet The Coaches Trust Vince Young Edition

August West — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:09:00 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

Battle Red Blog wonders how Cortland Finnegan can be so dirty? If it wasn't dirty he wouldn't get fined for it, so it's got to be dirty!

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Vince Young's MRI looked good, and the QB and coach have said he'll most likely be ready for Sunday's game. The most interesting part to me though, is that Fisher trusts Vince enough that he could play with no practice time this week should he no be ready until gameday. That's a luxury only veterans the staff trusts to put in the work and learn just through film and conversations are afforded.

Chris Johnson has a big fan in Marshall Faulk, who is accepting of the fact that CJ will rip his single-season record for yards from scrimmage from him very soon.

Winning today's award for awesomeness is Jeff Fisher's rationale for going for it on fourth down late against the hapless Rams:

I can kick a field goal and that’s an automatic points. You go for it on fourth down, at least I’m giving them a chance to make a stop. If they were offended then I guess they’ll have to work through their own issues."

After making an impact coming up from the practice squad, defensive end Eric Bakhtiari talks with Jim Wyatt about the amazing rush it is to come out of the tunnel and onto the field for the first time after not being active for a single game during his time with San Diego, San Francisco or Tampa Bay:

"It was my first game and I was extremely nervous,’’ said Bakhtiari, who played in college at San Diego. "When I walked through the tunnel I got so excited I had to keep breathing, keep focusing and when I went through the helmet it was awesome. The dam broke down and I was flooded with emotion. I winded myself after the first couple of plays because I was so excited.’’

December is a crucial month for any team on the precipice of making the playoffs, and few teams have been as good at it over the last few years as these Miami Dolphins.

For those of you who follow the Titans from afar and perhaps haven't gotten to experience the city of Nashville or a game at LP Field, here's a pretty solid review by Stadium Journey.

It's not too early for the draft to come up for just a second, and Todd McShay's latest mock draft ($- Insider subscription required) has us grabbing Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida.

Unfortunately, it's looking like former-Titan Jacob Bell's season may have ended on LP Field last Sunday when he tore a hamstring muscle.

Who knew you could get fined a few grand for tossing a football into the stands after a touchdown? To my mind, you should only get fined if you give to anyone other than a kid or old person.

Sure-fire first ballot Hall of Fame left tackle Jonathan Ogden lists Michael Roos as one of the three tackles in the NFL he actually likes to watch play.

Have love, need links: mcmaugustwest@gmail.com.

Incognito finished as a Ram?

VanRam — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:50:25 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

The coach has another decision to make.

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The quarterback question facing the St. Louis Rams for the remainder of the season is open for discussion, so let's get to the other hot button issue facing the Rams: Richie Incognito.

To bench or not to bench...

Incredibly, the hot headed guard committed two personal foul penalties yesterday. He lost his cool in what was a chippy, physical game. It's tough to look at this game and the image of Incognito jawing with Spagnuolo on the sidelines, giving his coach the old "not my fault" rejoinder and not think that the guy should spend some time on the bench. After all, this isn't the first incident of this kind for Cogs, hell, it's not even the first game of the season in which he had two personal foul penalties. Not that the Rams would have scored points anyway, but his penalties yesterday were drive killers.

Now, the other side of the coin. We mentioned Incognito's other game this season in which he collected two personal foul flags; it was the season opener in Seattle. He spent a little time on the bench during that game and some time reflecting with the coach in the days after. Fans, myself included, were ready for his head on a platter. But, he managed somehow to get it together and became one of the team's better blockers.

Spagnuolo has some sliver of his reputation on the line with this week's decision on Incognito. Bernie Miklasz from the PD took both player and coach to task today.

Here’s the deal: Spagnuolo stood by Incognito early this season when Incognito pulled the same kind of stuff at Seattle. Spagnuolo took the hit from fans and media by giving Incognito another chance and by, in so many words, defending him. And how did Incognito repay Spags for that?

Why would Spagnuolo (and GM Billy Devaney) believe they can win with with this guy?

Because of Incognito, Spagnuolo comes across as a weak guy who can be taken advantage of by players.

Without a doubt, Cogs' move was a blow to Spags, but Miklasz ignores the results the Rams head coach got from his starting right guard after the week one incident. So, in the wake of the first incident Spags didn't come across as weak, he came across as right. Now, after weeks of solid play and a few weeks on the sidelines with a foot injury, Spags has to make this decision again.

Miklasz is being short-sighted, forgetting what happened with Incognito after week one, but he's absolutely right in that there has to be some accountability for the guard now. Though the Jacob Bell injury situation might impact the decision to bench Cogs, it's worth remembering as we start planning for the 2010 season that during Adam Goldberg's time filling in for Incognito the Rams lost nothing in performance from that position. The troubled guard may be talented but he's not irreplaceable.

Poll

Bench Incognito for the rest of the season or not?

Rams could lose G Jacob Bell for the season

VanRam — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:54:24 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

Santa, please bring the Rams better health, and while you're at it, how 'bout some talent?

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The St. Louis Rams injury report can't get any worse can it? Oh yes it can, and it has after the brutal beat down administered by the Tennessee Titans and Jeff Fisher's mullet this weekend. The offensive line, already missing starters, took the biggest hit, with LG Jacob Bell suffering a torn hamstring muscle, an injury that could keep him out for the rest of the season.

Yikes. Bell has really stepped up his play this season, and he'll be missed sorely. This might be an easier blow to suffer if Jason Smith were healthy and starting at RT, because that would allow Goldberg, whose a better guard than tackle, to play guard as opposed to being forced to play tackle for Smith. Bell's injury could also have ramifications on the RIchie Incognito situation, which Spagnuolo did not address today citing his desire to talk to the hot headed guard first.

Jason Smith has not taken the neoro test again, so no change in his status yet. The Rams official Twitter feed says the team has all options on the table, including ending the rookie's season to let him recover...not the preferred option, but probably the best.

Linebackers David Vobora and Paris Lenon each had an MRI, but no results yet.

Why does this team consistently deal with so many injuries? This isn't just turf-related stuff either. I continue to be of the mind that because we're so talent deprived, the big names step up, carry more load and suffer the consequences because of the increased exposure. Or maybe we just have really cut rate trainers.

Early returns on the Rams o-line investment

VanRam — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:40:48 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

St. Louis Rams offensive tackle Jason Smith is part of a well-paid trio that form the foundation of the team's future.

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The St. Louis Rams have made a big investment in their offensive line over the last two years. It's part of a plan by GM Billy Devaney and new head coach Steve Spagnuolo to lay a solid foundation for the rebuilding process. Get strong up front and build outward.

So far this season, the results have been mixed, but do indeed seem to be trending in the right direction. Check out the OL grades from CaliRamsMan in this fanpost, there's much to mull over there.

This feature at Football Outsiders takes a look at the highest paid interior linemen in the NFL. There are two members of the St. Louis Rams on that list: C Jason Brown and LG Jacob Bell.

The investment in Brown has already paid dividends. Steven Jackson is having a rock solid season, picking up more than half of his carries through the middle of the offensive line. Marc Bulger can't blame the OL for his myriad problems. Last year, too much pressure and too many sacks came through the middle of the offensive line with an undersized, often overmatched center and Jacob Bell struggling with injuries and being underweight. Brown is second only to Jets G Alan Faneca in guaranteed money and average yearly salary, a close second. One key difference: Brown was 25 when he signed his deal with the Rams; Faneca was 31.

Tied for tenth on the list is 2008 free agent pickup G Jacob Bell. Bell had a disappointing season, to say the least, in his first year with the Rams. It's more of a mixed bag this season. The stats show a pretty solid performance from Bell against Detroit last week. According to Pro Football Focus, Bell had a 2.4 rating in run blocking, that number is close to the highest end of their grading system and tied with Jason Smith for best on the team. In the running lane breakdown at PFF, Jackson ran 5 times over the LG for a total of 43 yards and an average of 8.6 YPC. Bell made a nice block (as did others) to spring Jackson for 26 yards late in the second quarter to set up the fake FG touchdown. It didn't help perceptions of Bell that Setterstrom came in for the fourth quarter and performed well.

Last but not least, you've got Jason Smith, the second highest paid OT in the NFL right now. Smith has performed really well so far this season, for a rookie, but it's clear he's going to be a franchise cornerstone. (as and aside, do you agree with Bernie Miklasz's contention that the coaches did Smith a disservice by not starting him in camp?)

Together, those three represent $66 million in guaranteed money, a nice chuck of change. Those are the building blocks for the Rams, and any success next season is predicated on having the OL in place and working like a well-oiled machine.

Reading between the offensive lines: Random Ramsdom, 11/3

VanRam — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:22:05 -0000

Still basking in the glow of the St. Louis Rams first win? Yeah, me too. Let's dive into some random ramsdom.

RG Jacob Bell has a concussion and a neck stinger. Bell now has two concussions on the season, something that certainly won't help his effectiveness. Speaking of concussions, does it seem like the Rams have had an inordinate amout of concussions this season?

People can't seem to say enough good things about the Rams first round pick OT Jason Smith. He had a monster game at Detroit this week. I still don't understand why this guy isn't starting at LT. I think with his improved run blocking skills, switching him to LT and Barron to RT would give the Rams better run blocking on the outside lanes. And with Setterstrom, Brown and Incognito in the middle, you'd have the Rams best OL combo playing. Granted, not every game is going to be against the Lions. In pass blocking, you could put an extra blocker on Smith's side when the matchup wasn't favorable...or you could just let Marc Bulger get trashed, since it's not going to make him any worse (ouch. sorry).

The line is starting to gel. I can't help but wonder if Adam Goldberg has a future as a starter.

Bernie Miklasz gives his official endorsement to the Rams getting a new franchise QB. He does make a good point about Bulger, noting that the QB has done little with the extra time in the pocket he's had this season and pointing out that a rookie QB could fare no worse than Bulger. Amen on that. As I've said before, the Rams have a good OL, which should be better next year, and with Steven Jackson still set to thrive for a couple more seasons, it's a good situation for a rookie QB to step into, in the sense that he has some padding for early struggles. Imagine if Detroit had our offensive line and Steven Jackson, combined with Calvin Johnson; they'd have a lot more than one win this season.

Spagnuolo and the coaching staff will be taking a good, long look at the team and their own performances through the first half of the season.

Here's a drive-by-drive breakdown of the game, from Detroit blog Pride of Detroit.

Hey, what do you think about the new look at TST? I stayed up all night coding HTML...no, not really. Props to the gang at HQ for their hard work.

Rams injury news: Amendola has a concussion

VanRam — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:22:38 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

St. Louis Rams KR Danny Amendola has a concussion.

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St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo just wrapped up a Monday afternoon presser. The big news to come out of it has to do with some injured Rams starters. The Rams have a bye this week, which will help players recover ahead of the next game.

First, WR Donnie Avery and TE Randy McMichael are fine. DE C.J. Ah You will test his ankle this week. Would the Rams really miss McMichael? Yes, in the depth chart sense, but not so much as a playmaker.

Jacob Bell has "head and neck" injuries, and will be tested this week. They didn't say anything about a concussion, which is what the coach said he thought Bell had in the wake of yesterday's game. Run blocking got better with Setterstrom filling in for Bell. Setts has proved his mettle as a starter before, and I'm more than willing to say he's a better for the Rams going forward than Bell. This is the second year of his six-year contract he signed in the Spring of 2008.

WR/KR Danny Amendola has a concussion and will be tested Wednesday. Keep an eye on this one. Amendola's work returning kicks has been a pleasant surprise for the Rams, and looked like the answer to a long overdue question of who could be a consistent kick returner for the Rams. Hopefully, it's mild enough that he's cleared by the time the team resumes play in week 10.

Bulger to start in week 6

VanRam — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:48:36 -0000

More photos » by Tony Avelar - AP

Marc Bulger will start for the Rams in week 6.

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The QB question has been answered. The St. Louis Rams will start QB Marc Bulger against Jacksonville in week 6. Kyle Boller has a concussion, a mild one, but Bulger will get the nod anyway, as long as he can practice injury-free this week.

OT Jason Smith is closer to a return, and some of the other lingering injuries players are dealing with seem to be moving in the right direction. SS James Butler is day to day. I'd really like to see this guy get back on the field, though Craig Dahl has done well filling in for Butler. CB Justin King might miss time with a bruise on his knee, or he might not.

Take a look at some of the positive things Spagnuolo commented on. One of them, offensive line play, was kind of an underrated plus this week. Alex Barron rebounded after his benching last week. I still don't see the Rams running through Jacob Bell much on the stat sheet, and that bothers me.

WR Tim Carter is back.